WASHBOARD ROADS

I'm taking my foot off the brakes.
I'm starting to press on the gas.
Just a little, of course, but there's a clear road ahead...
I can see where I might want to fly!

Stay steady.
Stay slow.
Stay close to the wheel.
Windows open.
The taste of the road in my throat.

There's a point up ahead
where the bumps and the ruts
go on and on around curve and bend.
It's hard to know how fast to drive.

If I go slow, it's gentle and light.
If I go fast, I almost soar!
Barely touching down.
On the cusp of control.

In between, it's all rumble and roll,
shudder and shake.
A heart-numbing, fumbling ride.

I'm taking my foot off the brakes.
I'm starting to press on the gas.
It is time to decide which way to go...
The clay roads are tricky this time of the year.